Department for Education

Welsh Language: Education

Lord Wigley: To ask His Majesty's Government in how many (1) primary, and (2) secondary, schools in England is the Welsh language taught as an optional subject.

Baroness Barran: The department does not collect this information. However, schools are free to teach whichever languages they choose to suit the needs of their pupils.

Foreign Students: Fees And Charges

Lord Tyrie: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total undergraduate fees paid by foreign students coming to the UK in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, (3) 2020, (4) 2021, and (5) 2022.

Baroness Barran: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), now part of JISC, is responsible for collecting and publishing data about UK higher education (HE) Table six of HESA’s ‘HE finance data’ reports on the income from tuition fees and education contracts at UK HE providers between the 2017/18 and 2021/22 academic years. This data is available by level of study and students’ domicile (UK, EU, non-EU) and is accessible at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/finances/table-6. Complete data for 2022/23 will be published in Spring 2024.

Apprentices

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decrease in apprenticeship completion; and what steps they will take to help equip younger apprentices with the transferable skills to adapt to changing job roles and technological innovation.

Baroness Barran: In order to drive up the quality of apprenticeships, the department has raised the bar on the duration of apprenticeships, the time given to learn off the job, and the quality of assessment. All apprenticeships are now driven by employers and achievement rates are increasing year on year.There were 162,320 achievements in the 2022/23 academic year, which is an increase of 25,100 on 2021/22. This is encouraging; the department wants to further improve the quality of apprenticeships to ensure that as many apprentices as possible stay on their programme, achieve, and have a high-quality experience.To support this ambition and drive-up quality, the department is investing £7.5 million in a workforce development programme for teachers and trainers of apprentices, increasing the apprenticeship funding rate for English and mathematics by 54%, and has asked Ofsted to inspect all apprenticeship providers by 2025.The department is also making sure that apprenticeships continue to meet apprentices’ and employers’ needs in a fast-changing world. Last year, the department reviewed over 125 apprenticeships to reflect technological advancements and employer needs, and approved funding uplifts for 80 apprenticeships, with the average increase being 35%.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Nigeria: Homicide

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Nigeria following the series of massacres over the Christmas period in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi communities in Plateau State.

Lord Benyon: Rising insecurity in Nigeria has affected all faith and non-faith communities, including Christians. The UK Government regularly raises the impact of insecurity on communities, and the need to bring perpetrators to justice, with the Nigerian Government. The British High Commissioner has raised the recent attacks in Plateau with the Nigerian National Security Adviser. The High Commissioner and his team continue to work closely with the respective authorities to raise and address these issues through multiple forums.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Bahrain concerning its use of the death penalty.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Bahrain is well aware of the UK's long-standing policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, in all countries, as a matter of principle. During Bahrain's Universal Periodic Review in November 2022, the UK recommended an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty and has continued to discuss this with the Government of Bahrain, most recently on 20 December 2023.

Nagorno Karabakh: Cultural Heritage

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made, since September 2023, to (1) UNESCO and (2) the government of Azerbaijan, regarding the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is clear that the preservation of religious and cultural sites in the region is an important issue, and although we have not formally made representations to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) since September 2023, we support their work in this regard. The British Embassy in Baku has raised the topic of religious and cultural destruction with the Azerbaijani government consistently and at senior level.

Antigua and Barbuda: Property Development

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of projects such as the Barbuda Ocean Club and Cedar Tree Pointon the human rights of Barbudans, and in particular the impact of such projects on access to sufficient safe drinking water, environmental protection, and communal land ownership.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: HMG is not involved in the development of the Barbuda Ocean Club and Cedar Tree Point projects. Any impact assessment would be conducted by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.

Nagorno Karabakh: Humanitarian Aid

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government how much they have contributed financially since September 2023 to humanitarian support for the estimated 120,000 ethnic Armenians who have fled Nagorno-Karabakh.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has provided £1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide life-saving medication, healthcare and other essential support to those affected by September's conflict. We liaise with the UN, ICRC and others to assess humanitarian need in the region.

Bangladesh: Religious Freedom

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Bangladesh to encourage the protection of freedom of religion or belief in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to Freedom of Religion or Belief (ForB) for all, as guaranteed under international human rights law. The UK regularly raises human rights concerns, including on FoRB, as part of our ongoing dialogue with the Government of Bangladesh. We support FoRB and freedom of expression through our political advocacy and development programme funding. This included funding to Aid Connect for the Freedom of Religion and Belief Leadership Networks project (August 2019 - December 2023) that supported Bangladesh's parliamentary commitment to FoRB. Our support ensured the rights of minorities were respected, and that these groups were protected from discrimination.

Antigua and Barbuda: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of Hurricane Irma relief funds provided to Barbuda since September 2017.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK provided over £196 million in response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This included direct humanitarian support to the population of Barbuda, who were evacuated to Antigua in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irma. We also committed £3 million to longer-term reconstruction work for the energy sector on the island of Barbuda. The use of funds was assessed by a Foreign Affairs Committee enquiry and the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) performance review early in 2018, and is also subject to our standard project governance and oversight. The Barbuda Energy Resilience Project is underway and will be evaluated in 2026.

Belarus: Religious Freedom

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe human rights implications of the government of Belarus' recent amendments to their laws on the activities of religious organisations.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of recent repressive amendments to Belarus' laws on the activities of religious organisations. These changes have served to tighten controls on freedom of religion or belief. The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and we monitor the situation for religious and non-religious communities globally. The British Embassy in Minsk continues to show its support for and where possible engages with, religious groups in Belarus. Belarus remains a human rights priority country for the UK.

Department of Health and Social Care

Pregnancy: Mental Health

Baroness Wyld: To ask His Majesty's Government what systems are in place to ensure pregnant women are screened for existing or potential mental health difficulties.

Lord Markham: NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services sets out how the National Health Service will make maternity and neonatal care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for women, babies, and families. A key objective of the plan is to ensure that all women should be offered personalised care and support plans which take account of their physical health, mental health, social complexities, and personal choices.We are improving the access and quality of perinatal mental health care for mothers and their partners. There are 35 maternal mental health services which combine maternity, reproductive health and psychological therapy for women experiencing mental health difficulties related to their maternity experience. Services in each integrated care system area are due to be operational by March 2024.

NHS: Drugs

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent NHS drug shortages.

Lord Markham: There are around 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply. However, the medicine supply chain is highly regulated, complex, and global, meaning there can sometimes be supply issues which affect the United Kingdom, along with other countries around the world.Medicine supply problems can occur for several reasons such as manufacturing difficulties, regulatory non-compliance, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues.While it’s not always possible to prevent supply issues from occurring, there is a team within the Department that has a range of well-established tools and processes to manage them when they arise, working closely with the pharmaceutical industry, the National Health Service, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and others operating in the supply chain to help mitigate the risks to patients.

Palliative Care: Integrated Care Boards

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what monitoring arrangements are in place to evaluate the effectiveness or otherwise of integrated care boards in discharging their responsibility for determining the level of locally NHS-funded palliative and end of life care, including hospice care.

Lord Markham: The Department is in ongoing discussions with NHS England about oversight and accountability of palliative and end of life care commissioning in the National Health Service. NHS England has agreed to include palliative and end of life care in the list of topics for its regular performance discussions between national and regional leads. The regional quality and performance meetings will provide an additional mechanism for supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) to continue to improve palliative and end of life care for their local population. Whilst the detail of the key points for palliative and end of life care are still being discussed, this is likely to include: improved access to care through increased identification of patients likely to be in the last year of life, using the GP Palliative Care Register; improved quality of care, including progression towards around-the-clock access to specialist palliative care advice for staff; and improved experience of care through an improved percentage of patients being offered a personalised care and support plan and advance care plan for those identified. These national meetings will provide an additional mechanism for supporting ICBs to continue to improve palliative and end of life care for their local population.

Organs: Human Trafficking

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their paperReview of risk of modern slavery and human trafficking in the NHS supply chain, published on 14 December 2023, and specificallytheir assessment of human rights violations in Xinjiang, whether an assessment was made of the number of people at risk of forced organ harvesting.

Lord Markham: The United Kingdom is committed to tackling the issue of Uyghur forced labour in supply chains, and is taking robust action. We have introduced new guidance on the risks of doing business in Xinjiang, enhanced export controls, and announced the introduction of financial penalties under the Modern Slavery Act. The Procurement Act, which received Royal Assent in 2023, will enable public sector contracting authorities to reject bids and terminate contracts with suppliers which are known to use forced labour themselves or anywhere in their supply chain.The review, which examined the NHS Supply Chain's supplier base, primarily focussed on medical devices and consumables. It did not specifically address the risk of forced organ harvesting because the National Health Service does not engage with supply chains from China for the procurement of human organs.

NHS: Supply Chains

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, what action they intend to take as a result oftheir paperReview of risk of modern slavery and human trafficking in the NHS supply chain, published on 14 December 2023, and following their commitment to eradicate modern slavery from the healthcare system.

Lord Markham: The Government aims to eliminate modern slavery at home and abroad, intensifying efforts since its 2020 modern slavery statement to address supply chain risks. The review makes a series of recommendations, outlined in detail in the publication. It advises for a joint-departments strategy for better risk assessment and mapping in National Health Service supply chains, urging ongoing emphasis on managing modern slavery risks, including updating procurement practices and standardising assessments integrated with e-commerce systems.It recommends bolstering NHS staff's ability to tackle modern slavery and improving supply chain mapping capability. Upcoming regulations under Section 12ZC of the NHS Act 2006 will further aid the NHS in assessing and mitigating modern slavery risks in individual procurements.

Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany children from Ukraine have been evacuated to the UK to receive specialist medical care since February 2022.

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government howmuch funding they have provided to support specialist medical care in the UK for children evacuated from Ukraine since February 2022.

Lord Markham: The Government is committed to supporting the health needs of Ukrainian arrivals. All arrivals are entitled to full and free access to the National Health Service, including specialist services where required. On 14 March 2022, 21 Ukrainian children with cancer and their families were evacuated to England and triaged at seven NHS hospitals. The funding for the oncology patients was agreed by local NHS trusts, and the Government continues to support the cohort and their families.

NHS: Supply Chains

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct regular follow-up reviews of the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking in the NHS supply chain following their commitment to eradicate modern slavery from the healthcare system.

Lord Markham: The United Kingdom is dedicated to combating modern slavery, focusing on supporting victims and prosecuting perpetrators. This effort extends beyond the review, aiming to eliminate modern slavery in healthcare supply chains as part of a broader strategy that includes the pioneering Modern Slavery Act 2015 and subsequent legislation. The UK has also invested over £37 million through the Modern Slavery Fund to fight modern slavery internationally.Working with the National Health Service and NHS Supply Chain, the Department will implement recommendations to help remove modern slavery from healthcare supply chains. Upcoming regulations under Section 12ZC of the NHS Act 2006 will further aid the NHS in assessing and mitigating modern slavery risks in individual procurements, with a view to eradicate the use of goods and services tainted by modern slavery in the NHS.

Integrated Care Boards: Procurement

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Chief Commercial Officer of NHS England has undertaken a review of the procurement policies and practices of the integrated care boards who were defendants in Consultant Connect Ltd v NHS Bath et al.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the judgment in Consultant Connect Ltd v NHS Bath et al of 29 July 2022, what assessment they have made of whether the integrated care boards who were defendants in that case have since established procurement policies and practices so as to reduce the risk of possible similar legal action in the future.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the judgment in Consultant Connect Ltd v NHS Bath et al of 29 July 2022, what actions the integrated care boards who were defendants in that case have taken to ensure that members of the public and commercial suppliers have confidence in their procurement processes.

Lord Markham: Each commissioning organisation involved in the procurement process produced their own lessons learnt report, and the decisions around the publication of lessons learned reports are for individual integrated care boards (ICBs). With reference to guidance and support to ICBs on procurement, NHS England published the Strategic framework for the NHS Commercial Sector on 28 November 2023, a copy of which is attached.The framework aims to encourage regional collaboration between integrated care systems by creating regional collaborative commercial organisations. These will operate as group procurement organisations in providing the necessary system leadership, capability and capacity to deliver strategic commercial outcomes and supply chain efficiencies, and will be designed against a national blueprint to ensure consistency.Every National Health Service provider will be expected to be a member of a collaborative organisation and a senior, experienced, qualified commercial leader will be appointed to run and promote each organisation at an executive-level, with ownership for commercial strategy and all non-pay spend.Strategic framework for NHS Commercial (pdf, 202.2KB)

Home Office

Overseas Students

Lord Tyrie: To ask His Majesty's Government how long they have made internal estimates relating to (1) the number of foreign students arriving in the UK, (2) the number of dependents brought to the UK by foreign students, and (3) the total amount of fees paid by foreign students.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office publishes data on student visas by nationality in the 'Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release': https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release. Data on the grants of student visas are published in table 'Vis_D02' of the detailed entry clearance visas dataset https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#entry-clearance-visas-granted-outside-the-uk. Nationality and time frames can also be filtered. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the 'Notes' page of the workbook. The latest data relates from January 2005 up to the end of September 2023.Additionally, the Migrant journey: 2022 report https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/migrant-journey-2022-report shows that 99% of people whose leave in the UK started on a student visa in 2022 had a recorded arrival.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the 'Research and statistics calendar': https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance.asylum application datasets (xlsx, 9763.4KB)

Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthey have identified any current functions of the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner that will not be transferred to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner under the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill; and if so, what plansthey are making to continue those functions in the future.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 sets out the functions of the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner. Broadly speaking they are to promote compliance by police with the rules on DNA and fingerprints, and to promote good practice by police and local authorities in the use of surveillance cameras respectively. Overall, the responses to the public consultation on data reform in 2021 indicated that oversight in these areas was crowded and confusing and there was support for simplification. In response the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill abolishes both posts but transfers the Biometrics Commissioner’s casework functions to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office. A number of other bodies already operate in this space and will continue to do so. This includes the Information Commissioner’s Office, which amongst other things regulates and promotes good practice by all organisations’ in their use of biometrics and surveillance cameras, including police and local authorities; the Forensic Science Regulator, which ensures that the provision of forensic science services across the criminal justice system is subject to an appropriate regime of scientific quality standards; the Forensic Information Database Strategy Board, which oversees use of the police DNA and fingerprint databases; the College of Policing, which sets requirements, accredits, quality assures and delivers learning and professional development for policing; His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, which independently assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of police forces; the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which investigates the most serious complaints and conduct matters involving the police, and sets the standards by which the police should handle complaints; the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which regulates compliance with equality and human rights law; and the British Standards Institute, which develops British Standards.

Migration: EU Countries

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to hold an international conference on migration in Europe as part of their immigration and asylum strategy; and if so, through what means.

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what new opportunities they are considering for discussing migration in Europe, in particular (1) through the European Union or its institutions, (2) with European Union members, or (3) the Council of Europe.

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for using the European Political Community as a forum for discussion and action on migration.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government is committed to working with international partners on migration. We must intensify efforts to stop migrant smuggling across Europe, over Europe’s external borders, and in source and transit countries. This requires a collective European voice on the global stage, including in multilateral fora.Migration is a focus of all our bilateral and multilateral engagement with our European partners. The UK is clear that reducing illegal migration requires a coordinated approach across Europe. For example, the Prime Minister and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni chaired a small-group meeting on migration and organised immigration crime at the European Political Community Summit in Granada in October 2023, agreeing an eight-point plan to address growing levels of illegal migration to mainland Europe. We will continue to build on this work throughout 2024.

Department for Business and Trade

Post Office: Redundancy

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government how many Post Office employees lost their jobs as the result of evidence relating to the Horizon software presented by Fujitsu.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The Government does not hold the data requested. Our focus is on ensuring that all those who lost their Post Office roles or experienced other losses as a result of the Horizon scandal receive the compensation they deserve.

Horizon IT System

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps weretaken when the shortfalls arising from flaws in the Horizon software system were reported at Post Offices controlled by the Crown.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The Horizon Inquiry, chaired by Sir Wyn Williams, aims to review all the evidence to establish a clear account of the implementation and failings of Horizon. A number of the issues which the Inquiry is considering relate explicitly to the actions of Post Office.

Horizon IT System: Prosecutions

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government how many postmasters or staff at Crown-controlled Post Offices have been prosecuted for shortfalls arising from flaws in the Horizon software system and how much money was recovered from them.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The Government does not hold information on the number of prosecutions broken down by type of Post Office. Postmasters who repaid shortfalls, which arose as a result of the Horizon software, to the Post Office, can claim compensation for these amounts, as well as any other financial and personal damage which they have suffered as a consequence of the IT system. The full 2,417 postmasters who claimed through the original Horizon Shortfall Scheme have now all had offers of compensation. Offers have totalled over £107m and over £93 million has been paid out in this scheme, with Post Office now dealing with late applications and with those cases where the initial offer was not accepted.

Tim Parker

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of conflict of interest of Tim Parker holding the position of chairman of the Post Office, when it sought to block appeals by convicted postmasters, while also holding the position of Chair of HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

Lord Offord of Garvel: When appointments are made, conflicts are routinely addressed as part of the appointments process. The Companies Act sets out that a director must avoid situations where they have conflicts which conflict with the interests of the company, and they must disclose conflicts of interest. The Department is not however aware of any specific assessment made with regard to Tim Parker’s role as Chair of HMCTS and Post Office Ltd decisions in response to postmaster appeals.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Construction Methods

Baroness Thornhill: To ask His Majesty's Government how much public money has been allocated to promoteModern Methods of Construction (MMC) in the past five years, and whether they intend to publish a strategy to encourage the use of MMC.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government is committed to supporting the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) sector and tackling the barriers to growth it faces. Our support includes funding to build MMC homes through the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, developing a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) for MMC with the British Standards Institution (BSI), and providing financial support for MMC manufacturers through the £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund.We are considering the Lords’ Built Environment Committee’s recommendations including the recommendation to publish the strategy.

Teesworks

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask His Majesty's Government when the report commissioned by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in May 2023 about the activity of the Tees Valley combined authority with regard to Teesworks Ltd. and the sale of land formerly part of the Redcar Steelworks will be published.

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have scrutinised the published accounts for Teesworks Ltd. in 2022–23; and what assessment they have made of the price at which the 90 acres of land were sold to Teesworks Ltd.

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the process for the sale of scrap metal from the ex-Redcar Steelworks has brought value for money for the public.

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whetherthe governance arrangements for the South Tees Development Corporation are adequate to oversee the public interest.

Baroness Penn: The independent panel’s report was published on Monday 29 January and found no evidence of illegality of corruption. The report also made several recommendations on governance and oversight. The Secretary of State asked the mayor to consider these carefully, working with the Combined Authority and partners as appropriate, to provide him with an initial report by 8 March on how he intends to respond to the panel’s recommendations.The Secretary of State is clear that he will not take decisions on further action until he has considered that response.As they were appointed to do so independently of government, the panel themselves have made their own assessments of all relevant evidence presented within the terms of reference within which they were established.Tees Valley Review Report (pdf, 1931.8KB)Terms of reference (pdf, 817.9KB)

Homelessness: Young People

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government how many young people are currently homeless in the UK; what action they are taking to tackle youth homelessness; and whether they plan to create a national strategy to end youth homelessness as advocated by the PlanForThe136k coalition.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The most recent homelessness statistics for England (April to June 2023) are available at: Homelessness statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).This Government is committed to tackling all forms of homelessness including youth homelessness.The Government's 'Ending Rough Sleeping for Good' Strategy, published in 2022 and backed by £2 billion over three years, recognises young people face particular challenges. The strategy confirmed a £200 million investment in the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) which will deliver homes for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, including young people. In addition, £2.4 million of Rough Sleeping Initiative funding for 2022-2025 supports youth services in local areas.The department will continue to work with local authorities and partners in the voluntary and community sector and private sector to tackle youth homelessness.Homelessness statistics (pdf, 2548.3KB)

Housing: Construction

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their plan to build 300,000 new homes a year, what steps they are taking to achieve this in 2024.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government remains committed to our ambition of delivering 300,000 homes per year and the four highest rates of net additional housing supply in 30 years have all come since 2018. The National Planning Policy Framework (published 19 December 2023) is clear that a core purpose of the planning system is planning for the homes and other development that our communities need.With both the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act and the new Framework now in place, alongside the additional resources for planning departments the Government has recently announced, our planning reforms will accelerate the delivery of new homes.The changes to the Framework create clear incentives for authorities to get their local plans in place. We remain committed to a plan-led system and national planning policy expects local planning authorities to make sufficient provision for housing and to identify the sites to deliver homes to meet the needs of their communities.If Local authorities are not making sufficient progress, the Secretary of State will consider using his powers of intervention to ensure timetables and plans are put in place.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Public Appointments

Lord Grocott: To ask His Majesty's Government what public appointments are made directly by the Secretary of State forDefence.

The Earl of Minto: As specified in the Public Appointment Order in Council, 15 November 2023, 2023-2-Public-Appointments-Order-In-Council.pdf (independent.gov.uk), the Secretary of State for Defence is responsible for public appointments to the following public bodies and offices: Armed Forces Pay Review BodyDefence Nuclear Safety Expert CommitteeDepartmental Board for the Ministry of Defence (non-executive members)Independent Medical Expert GroupIndependent Monitoring Board for the Military Corrective Training CentreNuclear Research Advisory CouncilOil and Pipelines AgencyRoyal Air Force MuseumScientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal WeaponsService Complaints OmbudsmanService Police Complaints CommissionerSingle Source Regulations OfficeVeterans Advisory and Pensions Committees

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Veterinary Medicine: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are negotiating with the European Unionon the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom after 2025.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The Windsor Framework agreement has safeguarded the supplies of veterinary medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland to the end of 2025. During this extension to the grace period there will be no changes to the existing requirements on the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland and businesses should continue operating as they have done to date. The Government’s position is clear, there needs to be a long-term and permanent solution which maintains the uninterrupted flow of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland from Great Britain on which so many people and businesses rely. Industry engagement continues to be our core focus over recent months, where we are strengthening and collating further evidence on products at risk. We remain clear with the EU that any future arrangements must take into account the overwhelming reliance of Northern Ireland on veterinary medicines from Great Britain.

Development Aid: Environment Protection

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what financial assistance they are providing to support projects undertaken by faith groups and others to support ecosystem conservation, protection and restoration internationally.

Lord Benyon: His Majesty's Government provides grants to a wide range of stakeholders, including those motivated by faith, to conserve and restore ecosystems internationally. For example, Defra has provided funding to faith-based organisations in Madagascar to enable rural Malagasy to raise their incomes, restore tree cover and conserve ecosystems through agroforestry.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Policy

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government when they next plan to update their Magenta Book: Central government guidance on evaluation.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Evaluation Task Force (ETF) is responsible for the Magenta Book: Central Government guidance on evaluation. The ETF plans to update the Magenta Book by the end of the 2025/26 financial year.

Question

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they are making towards reaching their 'Places for Growth'target to relocate 50 per cent of UK-based senior civil service roles outside London by 2030.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Places for Growth Programme has relocated 30.9% of the UK-based Senior Civil Service outside of London since March 2020. The programme continues to engage closely with departments to accelerate SCS role relocations outside London in order to meet the 2030 50% commitment.

Department for Transport

Motor Vehicles: Tyres

Lord Robathan: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have considered making it a legal requirement for every new car to have a spare wheel.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Government currently has no plans to introduce a legal requirement for the inclusion of spare wheels on all new cars. There are various solutions to flat tyres including full-sized spare wheels, a temporary use space-saver spare, or a sealant and inflation kit. Many manufacturers choose to provide a sealant and inflation kit which has benefits in reducing the weight of the vehicle and increasing usable space.

Treasury

Mortgages

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the long-term impact of their proposed 99 per cent mortgage scheme on (1) the housing market, and (2) borrowers.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government does not comment on theoretical schemes but continues to keep policy under review. The Government remains committed to supporting people of all incomes and at all stages of life in order to make the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. The Mortgage Guarantee Scheme – launched in April 2021 – continues to support homebuyers and movers with deposits as small as 5%. As of June 2023, the scheme has directly helped over 39,000 households to buy their homes, 86% of which have been first-time buyers.

Insurance

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the announcement in theAutumn Statement 2023, published in November 2023 (CPP 977), that "the government will consult on the design of a new framework for encouraging the establishment and growth of captive insurance companies in the UK", whether they have plans for captive insurers to be automatically treated as low-risk undertakings.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In Spring this year, the Government will publish a consultation on the design of a new UK regime for captive insurance companies. The consultation will test views on proposals to introduce an attractive and competitive new UK captive insurance regime that works for businesses. Key to this will also be proportionate regulation that maintains the UK’s high regulatory standards.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Press: Internet

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey will take to protect small digital technology and online news companies from competition from big technology digital companies.

Viscount Camrose: The Government is committed to supporting the growth and dynamism of the digital technology sector and the sustainability of the online press sector. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill will establish new, faster and effective tools to address the far-reaching power of the biggest tech firms. The new legislation will equip the Competition and Markets Authority to address both the causes and consequences of market power in digital markets, and make sure tech start-ups are able to enter and grow in new markets. It will also help rebalance the relationship between major platforms and those who rely on them, including press publishers, through tailored conduct requirements and pro-competition interventions. We anticipate the Bill will receive Royal Assent in spring this year. This is subject to Parliamentary time and scrutiny.

Women and Equalities

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Disclosure of Information

Baroness Barker: To ask His Majesty's Government whether any former Chief Executive Officers of the Equality and Human Rights Commission are restricted by non-disclosure agreements from providing evidence about their tenure or on other equalities issues to statutory inquiries or investigations by international bodies, for example the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions; and if so, for how long any such restrictions would be binding.

Baroness Barker: To ask His Majesty's Government what are (1) the process, (2) the criteria, and (3) the timeframe, for recruiting a permanent chief executive to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and how the process and criteria will differ from previous recruitment rounds for this position.

Baroness Barker: To ask His Majesty's Government how many individuals have left the leadership team of the Equality and Human Rights Commission since 1 December 2016, what roles these individuals had upon leaving, on what dates they left, for how long they had occupied the role, how long they had been employed by the Commission, and whether they (1) retired, or (2) resigned.

Baroness Barran: As an executive non-departmental public body that is operationally independent, this is for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to respond. I have attached the response from the Interim Chief Executive below. EHRC letter (pdf, 29.1KB)